Yes, You Are Special!

“You are special.” No one ever spoke those words to me, yet as I bent down to pick a four-leaf clover, I heard in my spirit: “You are special.”

I did not understand it then but praise God, I do now. Such a simple thing as finding a four-leaf clover brought me joy and peace. But why? It would be years before this young girl at summer camp would understand it, but at that moment, it did not matter. Soon every girl around me was combing through the clover patch for her own four-leaf treasure. I was, for a little while, the most popular girl in camp.

I was a shy child. I had a hard time making friends. Because of this, I kept my eyes open and often I would find one of those precious shamrocks. And when I found one, in my spirit, I would hear, “You are special.” It gave me such peace.

Looking back, I believe that the Holy Spirit was drawing me to Himself through His kindness. God was speaking to me even before I knew Him. We can see this in Romans 2:4 (NLT):

Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?

How wondrous is God’s nature. He is One, yet in three Persons. I met the Holy Spirit way back at camp as a child. He laid the groundwork for me to later know Jesus and the Father.

I’ve often marveled at the Trinity. Three-yet-one often confused me. I believed it. I did not understand it, but I believed it. Then one morning at church, while sitting in an adult Sunday school class, the teacher's wise words brought me clarity:

“Think of God like a computer. All computers have input, output, and a hard drive. Think of God like that computer. Jesus is like the input. He is how we get to God the Father, the hard drive, and Holy Spirit is like the output. The Holy Spirit speaks to us, reveals truth to us, and makes miracles happen.”

Suddenly, it made sense to me.

Let’s look at my favorite example of the Trinity (the three persons of God) in Scripture:

One day when the crowds were being baptized, Jesus himself was baptized. As he was praying, the heavens opened, and the Holy Spirit, in bodily form, descended on him like a dove. And a voice from heaven said, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.” Luke 3:21-22

This brings me back to the clover. Most have three leaves. One clover, yet it has three leaves—a picture of the Trinity. So, what about that fourth leaf? Well, that’s simple. That fourth leaf is me! That fourth leaf is you! The analogy is not perfect; we do not share in God’s divine nature. But that fourth leaf is like every born-again believer connected to God by His Spirit dwelling within us.

Yes, I am special. Yes, you are special. Every one of us is special!

May I challenge you today to spend some time with God in prayer—and in listening. What is the Holy Spirit saying to you today?

In Psalm 46:10, God invites us to:

“Be still, and know that I am God!”

Let us never rush out of the presence of God without taking a moment to let the Holy Spirit speak to us. We are special! We are loved.